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Monday, April 24, 2006

Finding New Eyes

My current "bathroom" book is My Grandfather's Blessings by Rachel Naomi Remen. Most of the chapters are 2-3 pages - perfect for a brief stay in the 'library'. In a chapter titled, Finding New Eyes, Remen suggests reviewing your day for 15 minutes every evening, asking three questions and writing down the answers. The questions: What surprised me today? What moved me or touched me today? What inspired me today?

A few summers ago I kept a "gratitude journal" where I listed three things everyday (most everyday, anyway) that I was thankful for. It turned out to be one of the best summers of my life. After reading 'Finding New Eyes' I decided I needed to get that journal going again. Maybe revise things so I write one thing I'm grateful for and then answer the three questions Remen suggests.

Remen says it's harder at first but after awhile you start watching for these things and then noticing them when they happen. I know I used to think of millions of things everyday I was grateful for and it was hard to decide which three to mention in my journal. One thing for sure, my life really did seem blissful. So you might ask, Why didn't I keep going? That's a good question!

5 comments:

Shaneen
said...

I love the idea of a bathroom book. I usually look at catalogs when I'm in my "library" because . . . well, never mind. Looking at catalogs can be an expensive pasttime. I like the gratitude journal also. But I haven't written anything in my Relief Society journal yet and it's been three months.

Lynn Eve gave me a journal for my birthday which was right after I got my calling. She thought it was a great idea to keep a journal of the next year or so because there will be all kinds of things I will want to remember. I agree and was really taken with the idea. However, so far not one drop of ink has marred a single page.

I find the Spirit teaches me when I write in my journal. I make observations about things that happened that I never, otherwise, would have. Looking back on some of my journal entries I often find myself saying, "No way I wrote that!"

"How will I know what I think, until I read what I say?"

I loved almost every page of Remen's Books and recommend them both very highly. The other is Kitchen Table Wisdom.

Thanks, Myke, I know journal writing is important and I can see that I will probably be the biggest beneficiary of the effort. That said, I am signing off the computer and finding that darn journal. No idea where it is. Another project to add to the list. If you read my blog, you would understand that last comment. Maybe I should keep it in the "library." Maybe not.